Skip to main content
Top
Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research 4/2021

30-04-2020 | Original Article

When cognitive control harms rather than helps: individuals with high working memory capacity are less efficient at infrequent contraction of attentional breadth

Auteur: Stephanie C. Goodhew

Gepubliceerd in: Psychological Research | Uitgave 4/2021

Log in om toegang te krijgen
share
DELEN

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

  • Optie A:
    Klik op de rechtermuisknop op de link en selecteer de optie “linkadres kopiëren”
  • Optie B:
    Deel de link per e-mail

Abstract

Different attentional breadths facilitate performance on different types of perceptual tasks. For instance, a narrow attentional breadth improves spatial resolution; whereas a broad attentional breath enhances face perception. This means that to optimise attention for the dynamic demands of real-world vision, it is necessary to efficiently resize attentional breadth. Previous research has shown that individuals differ considerably in how efficiently they can resize their attentional breadth. Since working memory capacity can be conceptualised as the ability to effectively regulate one’s attentional resources, the present study examined whether individual differences in attentional resizing efficiency were related to working memory capacity. Tasks that gauge the efficiency of attentional contraction (resizing from broad to narrow focus) and attentional expansion (resizing from narrow to broad) were used, in addition to standard working memory measures. It was found that individuals high in working memory capacity experienced a greater cost in attentional contraction, that is, they were less efficient in resizing from a broad to a narrow attentional focus. This is likely because the attentional resizing tasks encourage the setting of a particular attentional breadth for the majority of trials in a block, and then gauge efficiency in changing from this breadth on the minority of trials. This means that high-capacity individuals may have more readily adopted the dominant attentional breadth, particularly in the majority-global condition, thereby incurring a greater cost on the infrequent trials requiring resizing to the local level. This shows that at least in some circumstances, greater cognitive control can be a relative disadvantage.
Bijlagen
Alleen toegankelijk voor geautoriseerde gebruikers
Voetnoten
1
Note that the numbers provided in brackets with each correlation coefficient represent the total number of cases included in the correlation.
 
Literatuur
go back to reference Ball, K., Owsley, C., Sloane, M. E., Roenker, D. L., & Bruni, J. R. (1993). Visual attention problems as a predictor of vehicle crashes in older drivers. Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Sciences, 34(11), 3110–3123. Ball, K., Owsley, C., Sloane, M. E., Roenker, D. L., & Bruni, J. R. (1993). Visual attention problems as a predictor of vehicle crashes in older drivers. Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Sciences, 34(11), 3110–3123.
go back to reference Calcott, R. D., & Berkman, E. T. (2014). Attentional flexibility during approach and avoidance motivational states: The role of context in shifts of attentional breadth. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 143(3), 1393–1408. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035060.CrossRef Calcott, R. D., & Berkman, E. T. (2014). Attentional flexibility during approach and avoidance motivational states: The role of context in shifts of attentional breadth. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 143(3), 1393–1408. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1037/​a0035060.CrossRef
go back to reference Goodhew, S. C. (2020). The Breadth of Visual Attention (J. T. Enns Ed.): Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Goodhew, S. C. (2020). The Breadth of Visual Attention (J. T. Enns Ed.): Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
go back to reference Hommel, B. (2015). Chapter Two - Between Persistence and Flexibility: The Yin and Yang of Action Control. In A. J. Elliot (Ed.), Advances in Motivation Science (Vol. 2, pp. 33–67): Elsevier. Hommel, B. (2015). Chapter Two - Between Persistence and Flexibility: The Yin and Yang of Action Control. In A. J. Elliot (Ed.), Advances in Motivation Science (Vol. 2, pp. 33–67): Elsevier.
go back to reference Kosslyn, S. M., Brown, H. D., & Dror, I. E. (1999). Aging and the scope of visual attention. Gerontology, 45(2), 102–109.CrossRef Kosslyn, S. M., Brown, H. D., & Dror, I. E. (1999). Aging and the scope of visual attention. Gerontology, 45(2), 102–109.CrossRef
go back to reference Lawrence, R. K., Edwards, M., & Goodhew, S. C. (2020a). The impact of scaling rather than shaping attention: Changes in the scale of attention using global motion inducers influence both spatial and temporal acuity. Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception and Performance. https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000708.CrossRefPubMed Lawrence, R. K., Edwards, M., & Goodhew, S. C. (2020a). The impact of scaling rather than shaping attention: Changes in the scale of attention using global motion inducers influence both spatial and temporal acuity. Journal of Experimental Psychology Human Perception and Performance. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1037/​xhp0000708.CrossRefPubMed
Metagegevens
Titel
When cognitive control harms rather than helps: individuals with high working memory capacity are less efficient at infrequent contraction of attentional breadth
Auteur
Stephanie C. Goodhew
Publicatiedatum
30-04-2020
Uitgeverij
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Gepubliceerd in
Psychological Research / Uitgave 4/2021
Print ISSN: 0340-0727
Elektronisch ISSN: 1430-2772
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-020-01344-x

Andere artikelen Uitgave 4/2021

Psychological Research 4/2021 Naar de uitgave